LEDLEY KING: Some players know when their time is up but I didn't, I felt great... then my knee took a turn for the worse

Ledley King is the former Tottenham and England centre back who retired at the end of last season. In his debut Footballers' Football Column, King looks at his career at White Hart Lane and how he came to the decision to hang up his boots. He looks at the current side under Andre Villas-Boas and how Gareth Bale has progressed to be one of the best players in the world. Now retired, King is working with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Before you read his column, check out his video below.

Some football players know when their time is coming to an end, but I didn’t. I had my ups and downs with the injury but at the beginning of the 2011-12 season I felt great; as good as I had felt in a while, really. I wasn’t really thinking about retiring at the end of the season but, unfortunately, the knee took a turn for the worse halfway through and then it was just a case of getting through it.

I never got sick of the routine of football: chicken and pasta before games and the little superstitions I used to have. I tried to keep the same things that I wore in the last game if we won, in terms of socks, trainers and pants – clean ones, of course! I tended to put my left sock and boot on first, too. I just tried to do the same things, even up until the last game, in terms of preparation.

The King of White Hart Lane: Ledley King is working with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation

I always believed I could fix my knee and try to get back to where I was but this time, after speaking to the surgeon, I had to make the decision. It was important that I tried to look after my knee.

It wasn’t easy but there’s still a long life after football. You don’t believe that when you’re playing, though. You’re so fully involved in what you’re doing. But there’s plenty of life after football and I’m learning about that now.

I think the mentality I had, to be able to not train for five years and still play, I think that inner strength, digging deep and trying to find a way, will probably hold me in good stead. I learnt a lot about myself and who I am and I’m sure that will help me.

I used to watch a lot of attacking players when I was growing up; people like John Barnes and Paul Gascoigne, especially when I joined Tottenham because he was such a great hero at the club and somebody I had always admired.

But Zinedine Zidane was the best player I faced, playing for England against France in Euro 2004. At that time he was renowned as the best player in the world and he certainly lived up to that because he scored two goals and he was a class act in France’s 2-1 win.

I’ve started my UEFA ‘B’ coaching licence. I’m still a young man and young enough to take my time and learn that side of the game when I’m ready and I can fully commit to it.

Management? You never know. It’s something that, when I’m completely ready I’ll go for 100 per cent, but at the moment I’m just building for the future. I still make sure I’m around to watch the big football matches. I never understand footballers who say they don’t watch football. I loved playing it and I still love watching players at the top of their trade.

In a way it’s been easier for me to watch games since I retired. When I was injured and missing games that was the tough part. When you’re involved in the team and you want to be out there and you can’t do anything it’s hard. But now I’ve fully taken myself out of that situation and I can watch football in a different way.

It’s probably less stressful now, but I’ve always been quite laid-back and quite cool. You’ll rarely see any strain or too much emotion from me. I trust this Tottenham team, the coaches and the manager and I know there’s nothing I can from the sidelines. I also know what it’s like to be out there and we’ve got a good team, which is very good on the counter-attack, so we’re always in games right to the end.

I think
it’s been a good season for Spurs and I always thought it would go down
to the wire in terms of challenging for the top four. I looked at it a
few weeks ago and predicted it would go down to the last game against
Sunderland. Unfortunately it wasn't to be.

Setback: King had to deal with injuries to his knee throughout his career

Starting out: King made a big impact when he broke into the Spurs side in the late 90s

But I think this Spurs team has learned a lot from last season. There was a point last year we were going really well and then we hit a bit of a rocky patch and I think it’s great the team hasn’t allowed that to happen this time. There have been a couple of disappointing results but we bounced back from them. Last season we went on a run where nothing was going right and it’s pleasing to see this team has not allowed that to happen this time.

Gareth Bale has taken his game to a new level. He’s one of the best players in the world at the moment.

Everyone was aware of the ability he had because he’s always had that athletic frame and engine. We saw the left foot he had and it was like a wand, but we weren’t really sure of his best position. Was he a left back or a winger?

In a league of his own: King praised Gareth Bale for his performances this season and particularly his goal against West Ham

Season to remember: Bale has been recognised for his performances this season

It was a matter of learning his game and finding out what suited him best. Once we saw his strengths going forward when he played on the left side of midfield he’s gone from strength to strength.

The only thing that’s surprised me now is that’s he’s come inside to play in the centre. I always saw him up and down the left, but the way he’s adapted his game; he can almost play as a centre forward now.

He’s turned into a player who is very similar to Cristiano Ronaldo when he was at Manchester United in the way he progressed and started picking up the ball in central positions and scoring goals.

Gareth’s goal against West Ham was one of the highlights of the season for me. When he picked it up I screamed because I knew he was going to shoot and it didn’t surprise me that it went in. That speaks volumes about the way he’s been playing.

Two of a kind: King says Bale has turned into a player with a similar style to Cristiano Ronaldo

But he’s still so young. He’s playing at an unbelievable level at the moment and hopefully he can continue.

It’s great when you have a player who can do things like that. It gives everyone a lift. You go into games believing the player’s going to score for you. You know there’s a great chance he’s going to score in any given game.

Tottenham know we can score goals, and that’s where the belief comes from. Even if you’re losing with 20 minutes to go, you believe you can still win if you keep going.

Jan Vertonghen has been a brilliant signing, too. He’s taken to the Premier League easily. He’s very comfortable on the ball. We’re really strong in that position actually, with Michael Dawson, Steven Caulker pushing and Younes Kaboul, who has been out for most of the season.

Key signing: Jan Vertonghen has performed well in King's former position of centre back this season

Strong at the back: Having Steven Caulker and Michael Dawson has helped Tottenham in defence this season

We’ve got great competition for centre-back places but Jan’s probably been the stand-out player in that position this season.

When you retire from playing football it can be a difficult time in your career but Tottenham offered me a new role and I said ‘Yes’ straight away.

I’ve been learning as I go but I‘ve been really involved with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. I put my name to the Skills project at White Hart Lane Community Centre and I’m delighted at the number of kids who are regularly turning up here.

Something like the Skills project would have been great when I was a kid. The kids can just come after school and play football or basketball or table tennis, and it’s safe – that’s the main point.

Crowning moment: King says lifting the Carling Cup at Wembley in 2008 is his career high

England calling: King won 21 international caps and scored two goals, including this one against Mexico

I was just like them when I was young. I grew up in east rather than north London but in similar surroundings. We had a youth club but one minute it was open and the next it wasn’t. You just had to stumble across and see what was happening.

It never really had a safe feel for a young kid because you never felt totally at ease or knew who would be turning up. A lot of the older boys would not necessarily use the place for the right reasons, but the kids here can fully relax once they’re behind the doors.

I believe that with hard work they can achieve anything, so that’s one of the messages I try to drum into them; to work hard and believe in yourself and you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.

Showing his support: King backs the Tottenham Skills scheme which helps children in the north London area

LEDLEY AND SKILLS

Ledley King has donated his fee for this column to the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Ledley at Skills, a project which has seen the transformation of a disused youth centre on White Hart Lane into a full-time sports and education hub for young people aged 12 to 19 years old to use every night of the week.

I think they sometimes believe that, living and growing up in an area like Tottenham, they’re not ever going to make something of yourself, so that’s something we need to try and change. A lot of them have already come such a long way already.

When I first came in a lot of them sat up and took notice, but now they don’t listen to anything I say! It’s just ‘Is Led coming now?’. But it’s good they feel comfortable around me. That’s the way I want it.

I’ve brought a couple of players along – Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson – and hopefully I can continue to bring others along to give them a little treat, because the kids are bored of me. They’re asking when Gareth Bale’s going to come down now.